Akongo woos women into safe delivery
Feb 08, 2011
TO many mothers, Dorcus Josephine Akongo, 34, a widow looking after four orphans, is their saviour. A nurse at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Akongo treats mothers with obstructed labour and other pregnancy-related complications.
To mark Women’s Day on March 8, New Vision holds an annual Women Achiever’s Award. The award is meant to recognise the efforts of women doing extraordinary things to change the lives of people within their community. This year, we would like to recognise women doing their best to save the lives of mothers and babies.
By Chris Ocowun
TO many mothers, Dorcus Josephine Akongo, 34, a widow looking after four orphans, is their saviour. A nurse at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Akongo treats mothers with obstructed labour and other pregnancy-related complications. Many regard her a hero because of her effort in helping to reduce the rate of mothers dying while giving birth, by encouraging them to give birth at health facilities.
Her influence
Grace Eyen, 40, of Abura village in Abako sub-county, Alebtong district, says: “Akongo helped when I was five months pregnant. I went to Alebtong health centre IV where I was told I had nothing in my womb.
“When I went to Akongo at Lira Hospital, she examined me and told me that my baby was fine and healthy before taking me for an ultra sound to further prove that the baby was not dead.â€
Akongo says: “This woman later went to Agali Health Centre II where she was told that although there was a baby, it was not lying in the right position. I examined her and found the baby alive. I took her for an ultra sound examination. Eyen saw her baby alive and healthy and went home excited without any stress,†she recalls.
Eyen, who has 13 children, hails Akongo for teaching them the benefits of having few children that one can afford to look after. “Now I want Akongo to guide me on which family planning method I should use that will not give me bad side effects so that I can stop giving birth,†she says.
To this, Akongo says: “We encourage mothers of child-bearing age to attend antenatal and adopt family planning so that they do not continue giving birth endlessly,†she says.
Eyen, who got married at the age of 14 in 1986, vows not to allow any of her children to get married at an early age to avoid problems of obstructed labour and other health complications. She says she rejected a proposal by a man to marry her daughter who is now in S2.
According to Akongo, girls who get married at an early age say they are married off by their parents against their will due to poverty that makes it hard for their parents to care for them and pay school fees.
She says if all nurses and health workers were like Akongo, the number of mothers dying while giving birth would be less or nil.
“I want to be like Akongo and start training fellow mothers on health matters and obstructed labour,†Eyen says.
Pastor Calvin Achunge of Pentecostal Churches of Uganda in Lira says Akongo’s efforts towards helping mothers out of pregnancy-related complications should be commended by the community. Based at Ogwete village in Awei sub-county, Alebtong district, Achunge says if heroes were nominated by people in rural areas, Akongo would be one of the few honoured heroines in Uganda because of her effort in mobilising and sensitising women on maternal health matters.
“Akongo is available to the women all the time, even at night, unlike the other nurses and health workers. She is not put off by the physical appearance of a patient. Provided a woman has complications resulting from pregnancy, Akongo will attend to her. She is down-to-earth,†he says.
George Eyen, of Abako sub-county, describes Akongo’s intervention as a life-saving strategy meant to woo rural women into safely giving birth at health facilities.
“Her efforts to mobilise and train us on health-related matters in our villages should be emulated by other health workers at sub-county and parish levels; issues like HIV/AIDS, antenatal care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and other health related matters,†Eyen says.
He adds that Akongo’s efforts have helped many in rural areas to know the importance of sending women to give birth in health facilities.
“Akongo’s efforts should be recognised and supported by local leaders. The community needs to be empowered with ample information so that we can take charge of our own health,†Eyen points out.
How she works
At night, Akongo, treats mothers with obstructed labour and other pregnancy-related complications at Lira Hospital. During the day, she goes into the villages mobilising women and carrying out health education to mothers.
She has so far reached out to more than 800 mothers in the areas of Barr, Abako, Olimlim and Omoro sub-counties in Lira, Alebtong and Otuke districts. She says she intends to engage some of the local artistes to compose songs with health messages that will help her mobilise even more women.
She is currently mobilising rural mothers and sensitising them on the benefits of family planning, how to fight obstructed labour, identifying the risk factors in obstructed labour, HIV/AIDS counselling, antenatal care and prevention of mother-to- child transmission of HIV/AIDS as well as teaching the women how to generate income to better their conditions.
Her motivation
The nursing officer, who sometimes rides a motorcycle to make home visits, says she is sad to hear that many mothers do not want to go and deliver in the health facilities because of rude and arrogant nurses.
“I have decided that instead of sitting in Lira Regional Referral Hospital and waiting for the mothers, I move out to the villages,†Akongo says.
“In one deadly incident in 2009, I used my car and went to Alebtong district to pick a 16-year-old girl with a dead child inside her womb. The girl got pregnant at school and her parents chased her away from home.
“The traditional birth attendant, whom she resorted to for help, worsened her condition. She was distressed and had a ruptured uterus. By the time we arrived at Lira Hospital, the helpless girl had died with the baby inside her,†Akongo narrates. Akongo believes this compelled her to go into the remote areas to convince mothers to go and deliver in health facilities.
“I sometimes use my own resources like my money and car to transport these rural mothers from their villages to Lira Hospital for treatment. To me, this is a calling from God to serve the community in whatever capacity.
Other achievements
Akongo started community health education in June, 2010 in Lira, Otuke and Alebtong districts.
Beside maternal health issues, she helped two mothers from Olimlim in Otuke district suffering from cervical cancer and referred them to St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor.
She encourages rural mothers to ensure good nutrition for their children so that their new born babies can grow healthy.
Akongo also brings men on board, teaching them about family planning so that they can support their wives.
She cites one incident of a woman in Abako sub-county, whose husband sent her away after she started bleeding and losing weight, a side-effects of a family planning method she was using.
“Molly feared the public, but her fellow women encouraged her to see me for help. I gave her 30 Norgestral pills that controlled the bleeding and now she is fine and her husband has taken her back.â€
She follows up mothers identified with high risk pregnancies to avoid emergency and maternal deaths.
Challenges
The bad road network makes it difficult to transport mothers with complications to health facilities.
Poverty among rural women makes it difficult for them to transport themselves to the health units.
There is still a big problem of negative attitude. Many think nurses in the health facilities are rude and arrogant; something that force many mothers to resort to traditional birth attendants in the villages for deliveries and end up dying due to complications.
FACT FILE:
Name: Dorcus Josephine Akongo
Location: Lira Regional Referral Hospital
What she does: Nursing officer;
Treats mothers with obstructed labour and other pregnancy-related complications
She is a volunteer with Pentecostal Churches of Uganda under its community health education sponsored by World Challenge, a US-based organisation. The programme covers Lango, Kitgum, Pader and Arua, among other places.
Contact: 0777667936
By Chris Ocowun
TO many mothers, Dorcus Josephine Akongo, 34, a widow looking after four orphans, is their saviour. A nurse at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Akongo treats mothers with obstructed labour and other pregnancy-related complications. Many regard her a hero because of her effort in helping to reduce the rate of mothers dying while giving birth, by encouraging them to give birth at health facilities.
Her influence
Grace Eyen, 40, of Abura village in Abako sub-county, Alebtong district, says: “Akongo helped when I was five months pregnant. I went to Alebtong health centre IV where I was told I had nothing in my womb.
“When I went to Akongo at Lira Hospital, she examined me and told me that my baby was fine and healthy before taking me for an ultra sound to further prove that the baby was not dead.â€
Akongo says: “This woman later went to Agali Health Centre II where she was told that although there was a baby, it was not lying in the right position. I examined her and found the baby alive. I took her for an ultra sound examination. Eyen saw her baby alive and healthy and went home excited without any stress,†she recalls.
Eyen, who has 13 children, hails Akongo for teaching them the benefits of having few children that one can afford to look after. “Now I want Akongo to guide me on which family planning method I should use that will not give me bad side effects so that I can stop giving birth,†she says.
To this, Akongo says: “We encourage mothers of child-bearing age to attend antenatal and adopt family planning so that they do not continue giving birth endlessly,†she says.
Eyen, who got married at the age of 14 in 1986, vows not to allow any of her children to get married at an early age to avoid problems of obstructed labour and other health complications. She says she rejected a proposal by a man to marry her daughter who is now in S2.
According to Akongo, girls who get married at an early age say they are married off by their parents against their will due to poverty that makes it hard for their parents to care for them and pay school fees.
She says if all nurses and health workers were like Akongo, the number of mothers dying while giving birth would be less or nil.
“I want to be like Akongo and start training fellow mothers on health matters and obstructed labour,†Eyen says.
Pastor Calvin Achunge of Pentecostal Churches of Uganda in Lira says Akongo’s efforts towards helping mothers out of pregnancy-related complications should be commended by the community. Based at Ogwete village in Awei sub-county, Alebtong district, Achunge says if heroes were nominated by people in rural areas, Akongo would be one of the few honoured heroines in Uganda because of her effort in mobilising and sensitising women on maternal health matters.
“Akongo is available to the women all the time, even at night, unlike the other nurses and health workers. She is not put off by the physical appearance of a patient. Provided a woman has complications resulting from pregnancy, Akongo will attend to her. She is down-to-earth,†he says.
George Eyen, of Abako sub-county, describes Akongo’s intervention as a life-saving strategy meant to woo rural women into safely giving birth at health facilities.
“Her efforts to mobilise and train us on health-related matters in our villages should be emulated by other health workers at sub-county and parish levels; issues like HIV/AIDS, antenatal care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and other health related matters,†Eyen says.
He adds that Akongo’s efforts have helped many in rural areas to know the importance of sending women to give birth in health facilities.
“Akongo’s efforts should be recognised and supported by local leaders. The community needs to be empowered with ample information so that we can take charge of our own health,†Eyen points out.
How she works
At night, Akongo, treats mothers with obstructed labour and other pregnancy-related complications at Lira Hospital. During the day, she goes into the villages mobilising women and carrying out health education to mothers.
She has so far reached out to more than 800 mothers in the areas of Barr, Abako, Olimlim and Omoro sub-counties in Lira, Alebtong and Otuke districts. She says she intends to engage some of the local artistes to compose songs with health messages that will help her mobilise even more women.
She is currently mobilising rural mothers and sensitising them on the benefits of family planning, how to fight obstructed labour, identifying the risk factors in obstructed labour, HIV/AIDS counselling, antenatal care and prevention of mother-to- child transmission of HIV/AIDS as well as teaching the women how to generate income to better their conditions.
Her motivation
The nursing officer, who sometimes rides a motorcycle to make home visits, says she is sad to hear that many mothers do not want to go and deliver in the health facilities because of rude and arrogant nurses.
“I have decided that instead of sitting in Lira Regional Referral Hospital and waiting for the mothers, I move out to the villages,†Akongo says.
“In one deadly incident in 2009, I used my car and went to Alebtong district to pick a 16-year-old girl with a dead child inside her womb. The girl got pregnant at school and her parents chased her away from home.
“The traditional birth attendant, whom she resorted to for help, worsened her condition. She was distressed and had a ruptured uterus. By the time we arrived at Lira Hospital, the helpless girl had died with the baby inside her,†Akongo narrates. Akongo believes this compelled her to go into the remote areas to convince mothers to go and deliver in health facilities.
“I sometimes use my own resources like my money and car to transport these rural mothers from their villages to Lira Hospital for treatment. To me, this is a calling from God to serve the community in whatever capacity.
Other achievements
She cites one incident of a woman in Abako sub-county, whose husband sent her away after she started bleeding and losing weight, a side-effects of a family planning method she was using.
“Molly feared the public, but her fellow women encouraged her to see me for help. I gave her 30 Norgestral pills that controlled the bleeding and now she is fine and her husband has taken her back.â€
Challenges
FACT FILE:
Name: Dorcus Josephine Akongo
Location: Lira Regional Referral Hospital
What she does: Nursing officer;
Contact: 0777667936